However, they said they do not believe it had any links to the recent IRA statement ordering its members to dump arms.

A boy playing with his dog near a river bank at Tonevane close to the Tralee Bay coastline on Tuesday found boxes of ammunition that had become exposed. There were more than 2,500 rounds. Gardai searched the immediate area and removed the boxes.

One senior garda said the ammunition had been there “for several years” and was “buried into the bank of the river”.

“It was hidden, not dumped,” he said.

He believed the recent long spell of dry weather led to its exposure on the river bank.

The ammunition was suitable for AK-47 rifles and was in good condition. No weapons were found in the hual.

Gardai were keeping an open mind as to its provenance and whether it was linked to paramilitary activity. Several arms finds have been made in the past in Kerry, which has pockets of republican sympathisers, particularly in the Tralee and north county areas.